


The Fantabulous Wooing of One Jacob Seed

by OdinSlumped



Series: Dep's Tracks for the End of the World [1]
Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: Bad Flirting, Blow Jobs, Deputy is a little shit, Eventual Smut, F/M, Female Character of Color, General Dumbassery, Guilt, Jacob is dramatique, Marijuana, Masturbation, POV Alternating, Porn With Plot, Recreational Drug Use, Sharing a Bed, Smut, Unsafe Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:35:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22671124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OdinSlumped/pseuds/OdinSlumped
Summary: Soon enough, their followers were dropping like flies around them and the Resistance was gaining more traction within the county. Needless to say, he was fuckingannoyed. Jacob really didn't see the point in keeping the Deputy alive when she'd been wreaking all sorts of havoc around the county for the better part of a month, but his siblings were so goddamn adamant about her breathing because "she needs to be taken into the fold, Jacob. We have to love her, Jacob" and he was just. 100% Not Having It™️.Or: How Esther and Jacob wound up fuckin' on the reg
Relationships: Deputy | Judge/Jacob Seed, Female Deputy | Judge & Jacob Seed, Female Deputy | Judge/Jacob Seed
Series: Dep's Tracks for the End of the World [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1107702
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	1. The Space Between

**Author's Note:**

> Please read the endnotes, I have a message I need to get out there for those that have been following this series. Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Space Between - Cleopold

Being found by Joseph after all those years was like breathing new air. He was finally given a purpose he could devote his life to and, hopefully, one day, die for. If he couldn't live for himself or his country, then he could live to protect his family until his time was done and nothing could ever hurt them again. 

It was, after all, his job as the eldest to look after them. Even if one of them tended to change just about as much as John did his clothes. Having them back in his life gave him a focus he hadn't had since he was young and angry. Well, angrier. 

They'd gotten word earlier that the Sheriff was coming with a Marshal, not that it mattered much. Joseph said nothing short of death itself would take them away from each other; his god had willed it so. Jacob didn't put much stock into what he couldn't see, but he did believe in his brothers, so he'd watch just to be sure.

There were no complaints when Jacob placed more than a few of his Chosen around the church as an extra precaution.

And that's where he'd first seen her walk down the aisle. When she and Whitehorse and the Marshal had finally come to arrest Joseph. He saw the strength in her stride and the curiosity about her face as her eyes swept over the followers of the Project until she came across John and Faith. They'd paused to meet Jacob's own with a tilt of her head, before settling on Joseph with bitter finality.

He caught her staring again before she was ordered to make the arrest. That'd made him look down at her with disdain, but she hadn't even blinked in the face of his ire. She just shrugged a shoulder at him and mouthed a _Yikes_ before following through and, right before they crossed the threshold out of the church, she'd looked back at him and cringed. She was a weird one, but he paid her no mind after that.

And then the helicopter went down and his brother had crawled out of the wreckage in one piece. They’d gotten out what survivors they could, but she and the Marshall escaped into the night. A part of Jacob figured that'd be the end of it, but the rest of him knew better. She'd managed to bounce back a whole hell of a lot faster than any sane person would or should and she had a petty streak a mile wide.

Not a trait he’d necessarily want in a soldier, but it'd make things interesting for a while and she certainly didn't disappoint.

Soon enough, their followers were dropping like flies around them and the Resistance was gaining more traction within the county. Needless to say, he was fucking _annoyed_. Jacob really didn't see the point in keeping the Deputy alive when she'd been wreaking all sorts of havoc around the county for the better part of a month, but his siblings were so goddamn adamant about her breathing because "she needs to be taken into the fold, Jacob. We have to love her, Jacob" and he was just. 100% Not Having It™️.

He'd only met her a handful of times after the church fiasco due to her staying the absolute fuck away from him and his shit. She brought chaos to the Valley and the Henbane, sure, and although they're frustrated, they're having fun. Her mayhem was far from boring, and Faith and John were acting like children. Joseph, in all his infinite wisdom, was allowing them to run wild while this woman tore apart everything they'd built. He would’ve put a stop to it but John had never really had a childhood. Not with them and certainly not with the Duncans. He didn’t know much about Faith before her Becoming but Jacob figured she deserved the same and left well enough alone.

He'd heard her taunting his siblings over the radio, but she'd never actually spoken to him. Always keeping her end of the waves silent when it came to him.

One night, when the four of them were gathered around the dining table at John’s, Faith had hummed thoughtfully and, with eyes as clear as sea glass, had turned to him, smiled and said, “The Deputy is rather pretty. I think she’d make a nice addition to our family, don’t you?”

Joseph had merely looked at her, face placid. “If all goes well, yes.”

Jacob could tell without looking that John was practically vibrating in his seat at the prospect of the Deputy joining their family, but something didn’t sit right with him. There was no doubt in his mind that he’d never see her as his sister, that she’d never truly belonged to what they have. Hell, Faith just barely made it. There’d been more before her, but she would probably be the last. Nevertheless, _barely_. 

But later, _much later_ , he’d thought about what Faith had said and looked back on the night in the church. From what he could tell, her dreadlocks were gathered into a high ponytail. She had a pretty pair of dark eyes that sparkled in the poor lighting. Her skin looked smooth and he could see the edges of tattoos peeking out from the short sleeves of her uniform. He remembered her surprise and the way her plush lips parted as she mumbled under her breath.

It was irritating, to say the least. Jacob liked order. Jacob liked obedience. The Deputy was the complete opposite of what he required and after snatching her up and running her through the first of his trials, he figured he'd know whether or not she was worth the insanity at all. 

Stepping back to observe objectively, she was rough around the edges but had the makings of the perfect weapon. She'd be terrifying by the time he was done with her, but patience was a virtue or some shit and there was only so much a mind could take. He'd have to break her gradually, but it could be done. It helped that she _was_ kind of cute.

Information on her was scarce, but he’d done his best to compile as much as he could with the scraps his people gathered and with what he could pull out of Peaches. She was an interesting case, that was for sure.

For one, she was older than he’d originally thought. Thirty-three certainly looked good on her. Jacob had previously pegged her closer to her mid-twenties or at least closer to Faith’s and it came as a surprise to him to find her older than even John. 

Peaches didn’t know much about her other than how she could hold her liquor despite not liking to drink and her penchant for shitty romance novels. He knew useless shit about her, but curious shit nonetheless. She loved to sing and could barely carry a tune. She also carried a beat-up mp3 player wherever she went.

Jacob could, at the very least, appreciate her borderline obsession with music. The various songs the followers of the Project put out were not suited to his tastes at all. There wasn't much he could do about it save for ignoring the shit. At least his people had the common sense to keep to their duties. There was no room for creativity, only obedience.

Junior Deputy Solomon (Esther or Es to her friends) was different in the respect that she was able to kill with such ferocity but turn around and be so kind. Faith had reported her being gentle with those around her and even merciful to her enemies when she could. Her concern for others almost overshadowed her wrath. Almost. 

He’d caught her running through his territory after he’d sent his judges to hunt one of his failed projects that’d gotten loose. It was a fucking moose of all things and as mean as it was big.

One of his newer judges got injured in the process, which he wasn’t too put out about. If it was unlucky enough to get hurt, it was surely too weak to survive. So he’d gone and called the pack back in, leaving the lone one to die off, but someone had to go and ruin it. 

He’d soon caught wind of the Deputy’s movements in his region, specifically her crossing into moose territory. She’d barely missed the pack of judges running home but hadn’t missed his Chosen tasked with monitoring their progress. They’d seen her hiking in the area and take off in the direction of the howling coming from the dying wolf. 

Jacob wasn’t overly concerned, more curious than anything, but something had him jumping in his truck and speeding over in case she did something stupid. Joseph would never let him hear the end of it if she died before her due. The last thing he wanted was another from his little lecture.

So he’d trekked out the half-mile from the road just to see her not dead and creeping closer to the downed judge. Its fur was bloodied and matted, the grey stained just as dark as the Earth underneath it.

She didn’t seem to be deterred by all the snarling or spittle flying from its mouth. If anything, she was more determined to help; she was knelt in the dirt, slowly digging through her pack. The Deputy kept her eyes on it as she finally pulled out some jerky and tossed it towards the judge’s head. 

Jacob watched the wolf sniff at it, still growling, but soon gobbled it down. She smiled and tossed some more, scooting a little closer each time and tossing more meat as she went.  
Not before long, she was sitting beside it, one hand buried in its fur and the other flat with the wolf eating right from her palm.

The wolf was weak if she could tame it; it didn’t belong with the pack. If it survived, she could keep it. He had no use for domesticated things.

He had, however, learned another thing about her he could possibly use－she was kind. Far kinder than Faith's descriptions. Anyone else would’ve killed the damn thing, he would’ve. He decided to leave her be. Once she was the family’s the wolf would come too.

But after blowing up one too many of his beacons, he'd sent out his best to hunt her and watched her mad scramble for the borders of his region through the cameras posted around the woods. At least she was smart enough to know that he kept to his territory, but it’d be all for naught as soon as they’d gotten ahold of her.

He'd finally be able to see what she was truly made of and once his Chosen dumped her at his feet, blissed to hell, it took everything in him to suppress his grin. Breaking her would be the most fun he'd had in ages. He couldn't wait to see how she'd do in his trials. He'd run her through her paces until she was ragged.

He had Peaches get her all strapped up in the chair, just tight enough to be uncomfortable. He'd heard the man mutter something to her and made a mental note to check on that little slip later. Jacob stood off to the side just to see the pinched look on her face as she fully awoke.

One look had Peaches scurrying away so he could make his entrance. There was something to be said about dramatics for drama's sake (looking at you, John) and something else entirely for doing it because it was fun to watch his lessers squirm.

Once her eyes had fluttered open it was showtime and _oh_ , if looks could kill he'd be but a scorched mark on the floor. The footage he'd seen of her bloodied face and her body vicious, fury in those dark eyes? The grainy video didn't do her a lick of justice but neither had his memory, it seemed. A few of her locs had fallen from the tight bun she’d pulled them into. She had a bruise forming on the apple of her cheek and a split lip. She was clearly livid as she stared at him, tracking his almost lazy stroll towards the front of the room. 

He could practically feel her gaze from her seat in the very back. So he stood tall and he stood proud, chin up, shoulders back. The straight of his back the call-sign of the perfect soldier. He had a job to do after all, and he was very, very good at it. 

But then she had to go and ruin that too.


	2. Retrograde

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Retrograde - James Blake

She was groggy when she came to, fucking Bliss hangovers were the goddamn Worst. And she was mad for all of a second before she really got a look at the Elder Seed Boy and almost cackled.

"Oh God. Wait, shit. Dude wait. Are you fucking kidding me?" 

He didn't even startle at her outburst, he just looked at her in the fucking pose. And not just any pose, THE Pose.

She couldn't even begin to stop herself before blurting out, "Why? Why did you have to do it to 'em?"

She could tell by the shift in his attention that he was about to go on a long-winded explanation that she'd rather bash her head into a wall then hear. So she interrupted him instead. Like a dumbass.

"Bro, what? It's a meme, man. A fucking meme. You ever use the internet?"

He went to speak, but she just kept going. She couldn’t even bring herself to pause to be polite. Her grandma would have a fucking fit. Nevertheless, she steamrolled on.

"That's the pose, the one you're doing right there. Please tell me y'all didn't knock the wifi out, too. You need to see this shit."

The slideshow going on behind him was playing old images of animals being ravaged and she grimaced, her attention flitting elsewhere.

"How old is this fucking projector? Did....did you use PowerPoint for this? Because I think if you used Prezi, it'd give it a little more 'unf', y'know? Put a little bit of panache in the whole, uh… thing." 

While the captured men were having psychotic episodes in their highchairs, she was surprised at herself to have had the balls to critique his editing skills (or lack thereof) but there was no stopping now. Mama ain’t raise no bitch, but she did raise a dumbass.

"As someone who's been using Microsoft Office for literally almost two decades and has since upgraded to Prezi, I can definitely spice this up. Just, please? Do y'all have a graphic designer? Because it looks like you don't. Y'all act like you don't. Like, this is the weirdest TED talk I've ever seen in my life."

By the time she'd finished, he'd already walked up on her and pulled out a weird little box.

Jacob got in her face with a, "For fuck's sake, woman. _Shut. Up._ " And opened said box. 

Before she could really figure out what was going on, the others started seizing up at the crooning of _Only yoooouuuu~_.

Her vision was fuzzy and red around the edges but otherwise unfazed. Esther managed to bite out a "What the shit?", her rapid blinking an attempt to clear the color away.   
She snorted at Jacob's confused face.

Recognition lit up her brain like fireworks and she barked out a laugh.

"Wait, I think I know this song, my grandma used to play this on Saturday mornings when it was time to clean."

"What the hell is wrong with you?"  
He honestly looked about ready to snap, but there was a twisted part of him that was genuinely curious, she was sure of that. People usually were.

"Like in general or…?"

He looked very unimpressed and she grinned.

"You think Pavlov thought about feeding his dogs every time he heard someone ring a bell?"

She shifted to get as comfortable as one possibly could when strapped in a chair and rolled her eyes. She was scared but knew that men like him would latch on to any insecurity like a dog with a bone.

"Your little box ain't magic, it's science and that's both different and the same. Makes no sense but what can you do, you know?" 

She flicked one of her bound hands, "Plus you’re doing it wrong. Anyway, if you really think I'm gonna focus on something _you_ want me to, you've got another thing comin'. My teachers couldn't make me focus, not even my own mother could force me to. What makes you so different, big guy?"

Evidently, she caught him off guard. The man everyone on this side of the County feared worse than Death was taken aback due to her shenanigans. And wasn’t that a fun idea? If she could keep him interested, maybe she could survive this shitshow after all.

She'd stared defiantly at him for as long as he let her. Which was to say not very long at all before his patience fully waned. He'd then had her knocked the fuck out and thrown into a cage outside.

When Esther had come to for the second time (or was it the third?) that day, she was right pissed. The back of her head hurt and there was grime under her fucking fingernails along with dirt in her hair. Her hair! But if she had to be grateful for something, at least the breeze felt nice through the bars.

The whimpering and screams that echoed throughout the air got to her after a while and the sun beating down didn't really help her morale either. Esther didn't know how long she'd been asleep for, but a quick look at her watch confirmed it'd been a little over a day.

The scrape of metal behind her had her turning to face the man of the hour sitting down in a folding chair.

"Thought you were dead for a while there."

Esther cringed, "Yeah, I sleep for a real long time if I can. I don't move much either."

His expression was blank but his cold eyes sparkled with something that looked like interest.

Her mouth opened before she could think, “Why am I in a cage, big guy? And you’re awfully far away, how’re we supposed to have a decent conversation this far apart?” 

Esther tried her best to look up at him with big eyes. She was going for the “look up through your lashes” harlequin novel thing. Couldn't say it worked 80% of the time. Hell, it barely worked 20% of the time but she figured she'd try her luck.

The corners of his lips twitched and she counted that as a win. Jacob dragged his chair a little closer, knees spread wide with his elbows resting on his thighs. Despite being hunched over he was still looking down at her, face smug as fuck.

“You get out of the cage when you learn how to participate with the rest of the class like a good girl should.”

Unsurprising, but she still raised her eyebrows at him. Now, this was a game she could play. _Men_.

“Oh? Well, why didn’t you say so from the beginning? I can be very, very good when I want to be.”

“I bet you can, Kitten.”

They stared at each other for a moment before Esther grinned and broke into peals of nervous laughter.

“Oh my God, I am so sorry. This is why I stay away from you. I fuckin’ _can’t_.”

The screams still registered in her mind, but if she could get out of this hellmouth through flirting, she’d do her damndest. Even if it wasn’t really a good look, it wasn’t difficult to do so. She had a type and he kinda sorta ticked off some of her boxes. Nevertheless, she’d be back for those she’d left behind in her pending escape. She had to come back if she wanted to get any type of sleep ever again.

His smugness didn’t diminish in the least but he was intrigued for now, which was good enough in her book.

“You stay out of my region because you’re weird?”

Esther blew a raspberry, “Eh, kinda? It’s mostly ‘cuz you’re my type. And also because I’m weird, yeah.”  
For once, his face actually showed his shock and she reveled in it. Esther wasn’t exactly lying, but he didn’t have to know the details.

Jacob, on the other hand, had to have been stumped in the face of her presumed honesty. After all the trouble he’d gone through just to get her within his grasp and all he probably had to do was smile in her direction? What a fucking M. Night Shyamalan that had to be. He’d probably have to leave so he could dissect this shit in private, but he wouldn’t let her get the last word. Never that.

“Seems to me like you’re just a glutton for punishment.”

She rubbed at her nose and cut her eyes to the side, half embarrassed.   
“You can’t just say shit like that and expect me to give you a PG response.” 

“There’s nothing PG about this.”  
His smile was cruel as he got up and walked off. All Esther could do was stare at his back, mouth twisted, as he wandered away.

The days crawled by as she got hungrier and hungrier. Lips cracked, she could barely keep her eyes open as she laid on the floor of the cage; the sun’s rays were much harsher than they were before. It’d been two and a half days since their flirting shenanigans and, despite being exhausted, she couldn’t sleep anymore. She was too hot to move－too sunburned to do much of anything, really. 

Esther had thought about tearing her pants into shorts the night before, once it was cool enough to move around, and use the scraps to cover her face but that’d only make it worse in the long run. She curled up under her dirty flannel to cover as much as she could once the sun started to get too high. God she wished she could get that high.

The scrape of the chair was back, she noted, as she heard it settle into the muck with Jacob’s weight.

“Looking pretty pathetic down there, Kitten. You hungry?”

Esther went to make a noise, but the only sound out of her mouth was a nasty croak. She cleared her throat before trying again, this time uncovering herself so she could get a good look at her captor and him her. He had a bowl of something gross-looking in his hands.

“I didn’t get these legs and an ass this good from starving, y’know.”

Jacob closed his eyes as he chuckled. She was willful and men like him ate that shit up. She had to be a lot hardier if she was to make it out of here alive. She wondered what it would take for her to lose the sense of humor. What it would take for him to lose his. She could hazard a guess.

“You’re stronger than the lot I’ve got here. That’s good. You don’t seem to be losing any of that baby fat you got there, though.”

She could practically feel his eyes rove over the curves of her hips and legs but hers were glued to the bowl.

“This ain’t baby fat, sweetness. Unlike my waifish counterparts, I happen to be thicker than a bowl of oatmeal.”

A snort over his shoulder reminded them both of their audience bustling about. Jacob must’ve caught Esther’s eyes flicker over his shoulder to where the former Deputy was bound to be. The man was more a shadow of his former self but apparently a useful shadow nonetheless.

Not looking away from her, Jacob let his obvious displeasure be known by throwing the bowl to the ground in front of her and finding some satisfaction in the specks of mud on her crestfallen expression.


	3. Sexual Fantasies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexual Fantasies - Mont Jake

He got up and walked away, somehow feeling like his grip over reality was slipping. It left him swimming in his head for the rest of the day. He didn’t even stop or reprimand Peaches for sneaking her some food in the middle of the night when he thought no one was looking. After seeing that display of weakness, he made another note to tighten up security but only after he sat himself down with a drink or two. Or three.

Jacob tried to finish up some paperwork but quickly lost interest and switched to his plans of expanding the bunkers. He'd hoped to keep himself occupied until exhaustion crept in. 

He eyed the dark brown bottle on the corner of his desk and sighed. The amber liquid sitting in it was innocuous at best; just liquid existing on its own, undisturbed. But he knew better. It was one of the many things that helped drive Old Man Seed to the brink every night.

Jacob ran a hand down his face and lumbered over to the nightstand by his bed. Not long after, he'd found the small cigarette case. It was battered to hell, but still useful. Jacob popped it open and the stale smell of marijuana wafting from the uneven row of joints was still pungent. 

The case was pilfered off of one of the men he'd sacrificed to his judges a while back and he figured the guy wouldn't mind considering he was dead as fuck. So, doing what anyone in his position would, Jacob toed off his boots, lit one of them up and sat back.

The smoke burned in his lungs almost as hot as the ones that licked at his skin once upon a time. The burn made his eyes water but coughing was for the weak; the next drag was even worse.

Jacob slid to his feet and trudged over to the sink in his en suite. The water was eventually cool enough to soothe his throat. Just two tokes and he was already feeling it; the smoke static in his chest. His shoulders drooped and Jacob could feel himself relax further. He shuffled back over to his bed and pretty much collapsed. The springs groaned their displeasure at his weight. 

He ashed the joint before taking another hit. Jacob felt as though he'd sink right into the mattress and never come back out. He didn’t even think he’d want to if given the chance (but he would. For his brothers, he would).

He hadn’t smoked in years and he’d never felt it hit this fast. Whatever shit they had on this coast was on an entirely different level. He probably had California to thank for that. Or Washington.

The smoke had him rubbing at his chest, thumbing right over the burn in his lungs. He brushed over one of his nipples and almost gasped at the heightened sensation. He stubbed out the joint and shuffled down into the bed so he was lying flat. Heat pooled low in his belly at the very idea of where this was headed. He wasn’t celibate by any means, but it’d been a while since he’d done this too and even longer since he’d had anyone in his bed.

Jacob rucked his shirt up and let his hands wander down the planes of his stomach as his mind conjured up a figure. He imagined her thighs would be warm wrapped up around his ears as he buried his face between them, licking into her pussy like he couldn’t be bothered to do anything else. Like her taste was the only thing he’d want on his tongue for the rest of time.

He could almost feel the craving of closeness unfurl behind his ribs－the yearning beast demanding intimacy and touch. He actively pushed those thoughts away to focus on the figure taking shape in his imagination. 

Her skin would be so, so soft and warm under his touch. Her legs like vices around his waist, not letting him withdraw too far from her before he’d have to plunge back in and repeat until he either succumbed to fatigue or threw his back out. Whichever came before he did.

He'd seen glimpses of tattoos and his mind put them to brown skin. Full lips stretched around his cock or split into a grin. 

Jacob hissed as he palmed at his dick through his jeans.   
And if she was anything like she was in a fight－in bed? He had to suppress a groan at that thought, too. 

He bet she liked it rough, quick fucks whenever possible. But what really got him pulling himself out of his jeans and stroking was getting at her from behind. Being able to slide on in raw and fuck her hard enough to watch that ass bounce against him with each thrust. 

She’d moan and writhe under him, singing his name, and he’d tell her how good she was. How wet and utterly perfect she was around him. He’d get a fistful of her locs and wrench her head to the side so he could put his teeth to the skin of her neck for some type of leverage and pound into her. She’d fuss about them being so high up but would wear his marks with an almost sinful shade of pride. 

Jacob could see himself fit one hand around the curve of her hip while the other grabbed a handful of her ass to hold her open so he could watch himself disappear in her over and over and _over_. 

Maybe he’d pass a thumb over her asshole for good measure and feel her body lock up on him. He could practically hear her bitten-off moans and muffled _ah ah ah’s_ as he fucked her through her orgasm.

He’d flip her－or she’d turn herself claiming to want to _see_ him. To be able to touch him and watch him fall apart just like she was. She’d fist a hand in his shirt and tug him closer so they could share the same air. In that position, so close together, the push into her would be slower, deeper. She’d wrap an arm around the back of his neck and drag him into a kiss. Her legs would be tight up around his waist like before.

He’d press his forehead to hers so they could watch each other. Those dark eyes would swallow him up and there’d be nothing he would be able to do about it but succumb. Gladly so.

The same thumb over the head of his cock had him coming faster than he would’ve liked, but the rush left him breathless and quaking in the aftershocks. Her phantom touches and the wisp of her smile slipped from the foreground of his mind. A quiet reprieve until something sparked his lust or deprivation again.

When he was good and spent, chest heaving as he laid pathetically on his cot, he took a moment to bask in the glow of his own orgasm before the guilt set in. He hadn't meant for his imagination to run that far. Then again, a part of him wanted to know how serious she was about wanting him. 

The attention was jarring in its frankness. He was old and scarred and fucked up beyond measure, so there was absolutely no reason a pretty thing like her would really be interested in a gnarled old man like him. Not really. She barely knew anything past the blood and viscera. Nothing but the blood slowly drowning him.

Looked like his basking was going straight into self-hatred, then. He continued to lay there, his high giving way to the proverbial dark cloud gathering over his head the longer he let himself wallow.

He needed to get rid of her, but Joseph had wanted the trials to progress faster than normal, citing that he knew she’d be able to withstand his specific brand of torture. That the Voice told him so.

Jacob turned on his side to face the balcony overlooking the cages. If the Voice knew so much, then it probably knew whatever the fuck was going on with him and that he’d be the one to let her run rampant again until further notice.

He gave a full-body sigh that quickly turned into a shudder at the cooled come on his stomach. Jacob rolled to his feet with grim determination. He’d do what must be done to clear his head so that he’d be able to focus back on the Project and its needs. The apocalypse waited for no man, but maybe it'd wait for her. So he devised to let her go. 

After he cleaned up, of course.

And she stayed away for a while, terrorizing her usual haunts in the Valley and the Henbane, but he'd notice her cross into his territory every now and again. The first was to get Drubman Jr. on board with the Resistance, the second for the bear, and the third for Jess Black. He let her sneak around and think she was helping. He let her tiptoe around his region and dart back out, but she lingered longer with time. 

Once, he'd watched her just sit on a ridge and stare out at his mountains for an hour or two. He'd had half a mind to either kick her off or drag her back to St. Francis', but he let her go again. They both knew she'd be back. She knew where she belonged and he’d let her know when it was time to come home.


	4. Almost (Sweet Music)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost (Sweet Music) - Hozier

Jacob caught her skulking around his mountains again. He’d been out hunting and watched as she wandered around a meadow, picking flowers and weaving them into a crown. 

He'd watched her from beyond the treeline as she sang quietly. Her hands, small but quick, wove the stems over and under with practiced ease. She'd only stop to pluck a few herbs out of the ground and put them in her pack before continuing. 

He felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise and a deep rumble to his right had him on high alert. Jacob kept his head on a swivel as he looked for the thing skulking around. He made eye contact with a large cougar lounging on a low branch. It'd been watching him the whole time and he'd been too preoccupied with the Deputy frolicking around to notice. He was getting soft.

"Princess Peach!" 

The cougar's ears turned to the sound of the Deputy's voice. Jacob watched it shift in place.

"Peach, c'mere you silly girl! I have a present for you."

She was unsettling, staring him straight in his face with her mismatched eyes. She'd seemed almost bored watching him back and slid to the ground, landing on her feet. The cat side-eyed him haughtily as she passed.

Jacob continued to watch as she padded over to the Deputy sat in the grass and flopped over like a dead fish. The Deputy placed the crown on the cougar's head and smiled brightly.

"Look at that! It matches your eyes! What a pretty girl you are." 

The Deputy patted herself down before whipping out her phone to, apparently, take pictures.  
Satisfied, she scritched under the cougar's chin and laughed when it stuck its tongue out.

He looked down at the gun in his hands. Jacob could've very well taken her to Joseph right then and there, but he'd have to fight the cougar AND the Deputy to do it. They looked relaxed and vulnerable enough but, then again, the cougar already knew he was around. 

He'd just have to get the drop on her next time. When her sentinel wasn’t around. And the sun wasn’t so bright that it caught the brown in her hair and made it shine. Or the dark amber in her eyes. Maybe when the flowers woven around and in her hair didn’t make her look so otherworldly.

He left without a word, her smile and laugh burned into the back of his mind like a melody.

After her frolic around in the flowers, she'd been toeing the line between his and Faith's regions for a few days. Blowing shit up here and there. She kept the mountains clean, though. 

He caught her sneaking in one morning, just before sunrise, hiking up the side of one of the mountains as far as she could. As soon as the sky began to lighten, she found a spot overlooking the mountain range down into the valley and sat.

Jacob watched her through the feed as she pulled out a ziplock bag. Esther laid out a bandana and took out the contents: a lighter and a little wooden pipe. He leaned back in his chair as she packed the bowl and propped herself up against a stump, taking a long drag and letting the smoke filter out from between her teeth.

It was nice to see her clean, in a strange way he didn’t have the energy to explore. The longer he stared at her profile, the more familiar she became until it finally dawned on him. She reminded him of a girl that used to live near his childhood home. She'd speed down on her bright yellow bicycle, thick black hair flying in the wind and a huge grin on her face. He'd thought she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen and couldn't help but stare until his father caught him one day. He'd beaten Jacob to the tune of _Never That Color_. He was much more careful of his staring after that but it proved to be unnecessary as she'd moved away not long after. 

Even now, he could see the girl with the bike as bright as the sun in her. In her smile and in the way she moved like she hadn't a care in the world. In the curl at the corners of her lips and the peal of her raucous laughter.

He was conflating the two, putting old weakness to new distractions. _And yet_.

A hazy aura of smoke floated around her, fragmenting and softening the sunrise. She looked peaceful and content to bask in the glow－ halfway ethereal. Like she could bend the golden rays of sunlight around her body like a cloak. All she did was sit there, caught up in her own little world, and he was already like this. Already imagining her hands fisted in his shirt and her soft lips at his throat, teeth marking his skin instead. 

God, he was so _fucked_.


	5. Something About Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something About Us - Daft Punk

Esther wasn’t fairing much better, to be quite honest. She knew he’d been watching her from the very beginning and figured he’d show his hand when he was ready. So she made sure to always stay in sight whether she was executing mundane ass tasks or hiking up through his mountains for a nice little wake ‘n bake.

But then again, he'd taken her and starved her and, for some reason, let her go. Jacob had been so receptive to her advances and even went as far as to flirt back but he was a jealous thing. 

Like all the Seeds, he was possessive and meaner than a junkyard dog but, just like the wolf, he could be befriended and tamed if she was patient. That junkyard dog would turn into a puppy provided she was gentle and loving and fed it. Shit, the wolf she’d helped and officially dubbed as Cicero was a total softie and could often be found curled around Boomer or underfoot at the Rye’s. 

Nonetheless, she truly wanted to see Jacob soft and relaxed after the hell she’d heard he went through. His life, like most, was a shitshow and maybe things would’ve turned out to be a whole lot better if someone just hugged the motherfucker. It seemed Esther had her work cut out for her.

She did her best to slow down any plans the younger Seeds had in their respective regions so she could focus her attention on convincing Jacob that he should let her in. She started responding to him over the radio, her teasing a little thirstier than usual. Her friends didn’t say much, but she could tell Jess was getting suspicious and Adelaide was slipping “subtle” sex tips. Esther’s patience was wearing thin, however, and she tended to get rather impulsive when she was anticipating something fun or dangerous. Or both.

So, she took matters into her own hands. Esther filled her backpack with snacks and wine she found in the bunker of what was probably an alcoholic, strapped a blanket on top and made her way over to one of her favorite places in the whole county. She made sure to get caught in every camera, alerting him of her presence. Creeper that he was, Jacob wouldn’t be too far behind by the time she got to her destination.

The trek up to the spot was easy and she took the time to take in her surroundings, smiling at the first hint of flowers. As soon as the canopy of trees broke, she could see the makings of a storm on the horizon. Esther hoped he was quick about it so she could get back down the mountain before the storm actually hit.

Ten minutes into her lounging and she felt the prickle of eyes on her. _Fucking finally_. She let him drink his fill before addressing his lurking.

"You're a bit of a creeper, aren't you." 

She'd finally caught him staring. 

Esther was back at the meadow, a dark blue blanket laid out beneath her. She was leaning back on her forearms, legs crossed at the ankle. Her head was thrown all the way back so she could make eye contact with him upside-down and he got a peek at the long column of her throat. How she actually managed to catch him was anybody's guess. It’d been a long time coming but Christ, had he lost his edge? 

Jacob stilled, if he didn't move－didn't even breathe, maybe she would think she was losing her mind and that he wasn’t actually there.

"I'm not a dinosaur, Jacob. Come out from the bushes; come sit with me."

It would’ve been better for everyone involved if he just fucked off back to the Center but her eyes drew him out of the brush and into the clearing. The smile she turned on him was blinding.

“Please sit with me? I brought snacks.”

For once (or maybe twice), Jacob didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t a coward but a tactical retreat had helped him a few times in the past. 

Her second please had his body moving on its own. He walked out into the pale sunlight and stood a few scant feet from her, looking down before sitting in the space next to her. His knees weren't what they used to be, so he opted to sit with his legs bent in front of him. Easier to get up and away in case it was a trap, too. But the smiles she directed at him were brighter than the fucking sun and he couldn't deal.

After a while of silence on both of their ends, she offered him some chips that he eyed warily.

"Why are you humoring me, Jacob?" 

She was sitting up now, head propped up on her hand. He looked at her out from the corner of his eye before going back to look at the oncoming storm.

"You're weird and I'm...bored."

He wouldn't tell her the deviation from the norm of doomsday preparation and cult leadership was refreshing. She didn't need to know all of that. No one needed to know all of that, least of all Joseph.

She snorted and gave one of his bent knees a pat. "Fair enough, my dude."

"Don't call me 'dude'."

She stuck her tongue out at him but didn't move her hand. He didn't make her either, content to see where this was going.

She moved up onto her knees to reach over him, taking her hand away from him to, instead, lean into his space for her bag on his other side. How had he missed that shit? The blanket was but only so big.

Jacob couldn't help but inhale as she moved. It wasn't his fault that he had to breathe. Her scent smelled strongly of something spicy and floral he couldn't place. It was nice enough to have him leaning into her space for a change. Nice and different from the usual smell of blood and dirt that seemed to follow him like a bad penny.

.

Eventually, she got what she was looking for with an "Aha!" and turned to show him, least of all expecting his face to be so close. 

"Oh! You good?"

She must have shifted around so they were facing each other. Jacob's eyes were closed as he breathed deeply.

"Jacob?"

She touched the balled-up fist at his side and he opened his eyes. He bumped his forehead against hers and watched as her mouth parted like before.

Esther made a thoughtful noise and licked her lips, watching closely as Jacob's eyes tracked the movement. She wanted to take the leap and kiss him, but she couldn't help but wonder if it was a mistake. What would happen if he didn't respond well? Would he harm her? Throw her in a cage again?

Instead, she touched his cheek. Just her fingertips brushing against his scarred skin and it had him leaning into it fully. She brought her other hand up to mirror it and stroked his cheekbones with her thumbs. She had him damn near purring in no time. Maybe he was more cat or cougar than wolf after all. The thought almost had her grinning.

"This okay?"

The noise he made was affirmative, but she wasn't budging.

"Yes or no, big guy."

His attention was finally away from her lips as he croaked out a yes. She smiled and shuffled fully into the space between his legs. He spread them a little further to accommodate her hips.

"Can I－ can I kiss you?"

The irony of their societal roles being reversed wasn't lost on either of them but she was unsure－albeit, determined to wait for his answer. And, looking at her this close, she was better than cute. The expression on her face was patient and receptive. He was thrown at her asking for consent. It was unfamiliar in a way that was definitely not unpleasant but made him question her experience.

"I'd be pissed if you didn't."

Despite having to clear his throat twice before being able to answer, she still smiled at him. And then she was moving in, slowly so he had time to pull away if need be.

The slightest brush of her lips against his ripped a wounded noise from the back of Jacob's throat. She immediately pulled away with concern etched all over her face but he reeled her back in with shaking hands.

She was unhurried and lazy in her exploration. He struggled to keep pace, wanting to deepen the kiss as soon as possible but she steered him back to the slow rhythm she'd started. Esther kissed him like she had all the time in the world. Like, as fucked up as the overall situation was, he and his family weren't out to brainwash the whole county.

Soon enough she was fully seated in his lap, one of his hands gripped her waist while the other was clamped around the back of her neck to keep her steady.

Her palms were warm against his face. It'd been a long time since anyone had kissed him, let alone like that. Chemistry like this was certainly hard to fake.

The crack of thunder overhead had them breaking apart. Esther was the first to open her eyes, watching Jacob’s face. He took a long moment to open his own but when he did, his pupils were blown wide.

She grinned and swiped her thumb over his swollen bottom lip.

"Sorry, I'm a biter."

He nipped at her thumb and smiled back. 

"Likewise."

The sky was much darker than before, casting dull light on the meadow around them.  
Corny as it was, Jacob didn't think he could even begin to feel the cold at that moment. Esther, on the other hand, had started to shiver. He took pity on her and cleared his throat again.

"It's a long way back and it's getting colder by the minute."

She nodded, sitting back on his legs.

"Yeah, I've got quite a ways to go but I've backpacked through worse."

She had her arms slung around his shoulders and her fingers playing with the ends of his hair. 

"Still," he rubbed his hands up her sides.

It took a second crack of thunder, a gust of wind and the beginnings of rain to get them to fully separate. By then, it began to drizzle.

He'd helped her back her things back into her bag and even helped her fold the blanket. Jacob may have been a psychotic cult leader, but he did have manners.

By the time they'd finished and gotten to the treeline, the rain was really coming down on them through the canopy up high.

Jacob took one look at her, soaking wet and miserably grumbling, and huffed.

"C'mon. I know a place."

He moved to lead her towards the little cabin he knows is tucked among the pines. It may or may not be somewhere he'd gone to recharge without being disturbed now and again.

Her footsteps quickened to catch up with him until she was by his side, fitting her hand to the crook of his arm.

They walked like that all the way there.

She was really shivering by the time they got to the cabin. Jacob could feel her other hand come up to bury in his sleeve with the other. 

They were both soaked to the bone walking through the front door. She stood in the mudroom as Jacob jiggled the broken door open. Esther knelt down to unlace her boots and looked up at Jacob expectantly. He looked from her back down to his own shoes and rolled his eyes. 

With cold fingers, she slowly undid the laces and walked over to toe them off closest to the inner door before going inside. She could hear Jacob grumble under his breath but follow suit.

Once inside, the layout was simple. There was an old, ratty couch pushed up against the wall underneath the main windows in the living room. A moderately sized counter separating the living room and the kitchen. There was a small fireplace tucked between the two rooms with a few dusty logs nearby.

"It's still cold,"

Esther brought her attention back to him just to see him peel his jacket off.

"We need to get a fire going."

She nodded and cringed as she walked over to the cold fireplace in her wet jeans.

There wasn't much to do but brush away the ashes and get to it. Jacob grunted for her attention and tossed her a lighter on his way to the kitchen to hopefully find them some food.

Jacob had gone off into the back of the cabin while she fucked around with the fireplace and, eventually, got the thing to actually work.

He'd soon come back with clothes in hand. Jacob managed to find some spare shirts and boxers. He let her take her pick from the small pile on the counter as he rifled through the cabinets.

Esther found a large, soft henley and the biggest boxers in the pile, deemed them clean enough and went off to find the bathroom to change.

The hallway was short and split off into what looked to be a very dark and very barren bedroom and a closed door. She could guess what was behind door number two. What she did not expect, however, was it to be so neat and fairly clean.

Esther shucked her clothes off and attempted to fit the dry boxers up over her hips to no avail. Whoever they originally belonged to had a much slimmer waist. She could've cursed them but that wouldn't do any good and her legs suited her just fine. She wound up wearing the huge shirt and her underwear instead. At least she was dry.

She left her hair down to dry, patting it dry with a towel she found. Having it up would help in case of emergencies, but wet locs were heavy as fuck no matter what the situation called for.

Jacob had managed to fit into the boxers, albeit _barely_ and a threadbare tee. It seemed he'd changed while she was having her own wardrobe malfunctions.

There wasn't much food left in the kitchen save a can of beans that had probably expired ages ago and some stale beer. Other than that, not much else aside from her snacks but they were both far too worried about freezing to really give it much thought.

Jacob, barefoot she noted, padded over to the fireplace with the can. He knelt in front with the poker to make some room for it and Esther inhaled sharply.

"You want that thing to explode in here?"

Jacob didn't even bother looking at her before opening the lid with the now apparent pull tab.

"I'm not an idiot, Deputy."

"Oh, so it's 'Deputy' now?"

He shrugged at her and Esther frowned. He was clearly teasing and she usually gave as good as she got.

"You weren't calling me 'Deputy' when your tongue was down my throat."

He turned to her at that, she had her arms crossed and her hip cocked out against the counter.

His gaze was glued to the hem of the shirt floating around the tops of her thighs and he had to force himself to drag them up to her face. Funny enough, they got caught at the curling ends of her hair around her chest instead.

Esther couldn't help but chuckle and turned to explore the only other room for anything useful. And if she put a little swing in her hips as she walked away, she didn’t hear any complaints. She didn't find much except for the singular bed neatly made up. She pulled the slightly musty comforter from the bed and dragged it into the living room. Next up was to wrangle the blanket she'd brought to the meadow out of her pack and set the two in front of the fire.

She dumped her bag near her blanket and plopped down next to him on the floor, wrapping herself in the wool to the point where her face was the only visible part of her body.

Jacob took one look at her and snorted, grabbing the other blanket and using it like a normal human and not a burrito.

They watched the beans cook for a while before she got bored.

"Do you smoke?"

Jacob looked at her out of the corner of his eye, she even saw it crinkle a little.

"Smoke what."

Esther laughed, "That definitely means you smoke weed."

If she wasn't watching him, she would've missed the corner of his mouth twitch up into a smile before it melted away and then come back in full force. It only happened in the span of a second, but it was almost as if he had to make a conscious decision to allow himself to smile. It was odd as fuck.

"Sounds like something the feds would say."

He was definitely smiling at that point but she was too busy laughing to mention it.

"I brought some," She gestured to her pack, waiting for his reply. She was going to smoke regardless, but it'd be better for both of them to be stoned rather than just her. Just in case.

"Raincheck. Priorities."

Esther tightened the blanket around her, "I'll hold you to that, mountain man."

It wasn't until she'd started yawning that it dawned on her that they'd never discussed sleeping arrangements. Despite their earlier intimacy, she wasn't too keen on the bed sharing trope shit. Now, logically it was wiser to share body heat rather than freeze alone and being able to use both blankets was a better idea. She wondered if her friends and the rest of the Resistance would see it that way.

On the other hand, she was so ready to climb that mountain like there was no tomorrow and wasn't that a funny thought? If Joseph and his ilk were right, there was very likely not going to _be_ a 'tomorrow' and yet here they were.

"I'm not going to attack you in your sleep."

That was enough to startle anyone out of anything and, oddly enough, exactly what someone would say if they were. She said as much and he snorted.

"I'll take the couch."

He picked up the comforter and moved over to the nasty ass couch. He clearly grimaced as he sat, but neither of them said anything after that. After their meager meal of beans, he'd take the moldy couch and she'd take the cold bed in the equally cold bedroom. Away from the fire.

And that's what they did. Or, tried to anyway.


	6. Cycle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cycle - Sabrina Claudio

The fire had long since died and the chill had crept back into the space it left. Jacob couldn't deny that it was cold as fuck, but there wasn't much he could do about it. They didn't know how long the storm would last or even how little they actually had in the way of supplies. He didn't enjoy the helpless feeling that was attempting to take over.

The shuffle of feet alerted him to being walked up on. He hadn't been able to really sleep anyway.

"Jacob...?"

He looked at her in the darkness, blanket draped around her shoulders in the low light. She fiddled with one of the frayed edges.

"It's ridiculous, I know, but I'm really fucking cold and I was hoping you wouldn't mind, y'know,"

No, he didn't 'know' and he didn't _want_ to guess at what she was asking. He got it, he really did. It was probably dropping below thirty degrees at that point, but he didn't know if he'd be able to handle laying next to her. Nothing would happen, he wasn't that much of a monster, but _fuck_.

"I'm not sleeping on that dumpster, though."

Jacob ran a hand down his face, scratching at his beard before climbing to his feet. He refused to touch her, the tension was way too much for him.

Once in bed, they laid side by side with a few scant inches between them. She was still shivering and it only made sense that the less she shivered or moved while they were huddled, the better he could pretend like he hadn't gotten off to half-formed thoughts of her. The faster he could pretend to sleep until she did so he could move away.

Esther shifted closer to his heat, finally bridging the gap. Jacob almost flinched at the rasp of her skin against his. The yearning beast was rearing its ugly head again and he held his breath. He hoped Joseph's god was merciful enough to make her roll back and away. 

For all his praying, he got an arm tentatively snaking around his middle and a head pillowed on his shoulder. He was pretty sure her leg was moving to hook around his own and her feet were fucking freezing.

Maybe there wasn't really a god. Maybe it was some divine asshole that thought this was funny. If so, he was about to be hilarious and let them both freeze to death. Her stirring shivers made him very much aware of the soft press of her chest against his arm.

"Jacob?"

It took awhile for him to find his voice, let alone the words to say.

"I can hear your inner monologue and it's making me even colder."

She tried to snuggle closer, arm still secured around him.  
He was surprised to find that she didn't flinch away from the rough patches that marred his skin. They still managed to gross him out to this day.

"Don’t."  
He’d snapped at her anyway.

Esther froze before retreating with a muttered, "Sorry."

He hadn't meant to and now the silence was deafening and the warmth they'd shared was gone.  
And after a few minutes, he could feel her shivering again. She'd somehow managed to dislodge the blanket in her rush to move away from him.

He really hadn't meant to but there was just too much skin.

Jacob squeezed his eyes shut tight and tried to breathe. Her shivering would keep them both awake through the night. If he'd just bite the bullet, he could ease both of their sufferings.

He sighed hard through his nose.

"C'mere."

Esther startled a little, her hesitation clear as she rolled to face him.

"Are you sure?"

"I told you to c'mere, didn't I?"

Any trace of her hesitance was gone as she tried to snuggle close, her arm going back around his chest. Slowly, he freed his own and brought it over her shoulders, tucking her closer to his body. He could feel her warm breath on his collarbone and had to bite back a whine.

They stayed like that for a while, but it seemed neither of them could really go to sleep at that point.

Jacob felt her shift until she was sitting up, exposing them to the cold air. He hissed and tucked it in closer to himself as she got out of bed.

He saw her pad from the room out of the corner of his eye. There was some shuffling around, some whispered curses and stumbles as she probably stubbed her toe or hit her shin on something.

Esther came back with her ziplock bag and lighter in hand. She slid back under the covers, sitting closer than before.

"Jacob,"

He grunted.

"I can't sleep, you mind if I smoke?"

She leaned over him, her hair spilled over her shoulder and brushed against his own.

Her touch was light on his arm, her skin soft and a little chilled. She found his hand under the blanket and took hold, tugging gently.

He moved to turn onto his side to watch her.

"Go ahead."

She opened the bag and the fragrance was suddenly very strong. He watched her methodically pull apart the nugs and place them into the grinder.

He shut his eyes to the sound of her grinding the weed back and forth. This was the quietest he'd ever seen her and her silence was almost comforting in the little room.

Esther noticed Jacob doze off, but made no comment. The dark circles under his eyes made it obvious that he needed the rest.

He resurfaced as she sparked the first joint. He could hear the paper burn on her inhale and could feel her relax into the bed on her exhale. She took another hit before turning to him.

"You want some?"

Jacob's hand came out from under the blankets and she passed it into his waiting fingers.

She watched his lips seal around the joint as he inhaled shallowly. The cherry at the end gave his face a soft glow, a stark contrast to the shadowed hollows of his cheeks. He let the smoke filter out of his nose and passed it back.

They continued on, passing it back and forth and watching each other until it was nothing more than the filter.

Esther was about to light the second one when Jacob hummed and scratched at his beard.

"You ever sit on the toilet and have to remind yourself you're awake and not sleep? Just in case you are and you're about to piss your bed?"

Esther looked at him with the biggest, widest eyes and, with the utmost reverence of someone well on their way to stoned, whispered a " _Yes_ ".

Jacob laughed, actually laughed, and took the joint from her and lit it himself.

"That shit happens to me sometimes and I don't know whether I dream too much about it or not."

Esther snorted in return and nodded fervently.  
"I know exactly what you mean. I thought it was just me!"

He passed her the fresh joint as the smoke curled at the corners of his mouth. She moved it over the small flame of the lighter before taking a pull.

They sat there, soaking up the smoke and their shared warmth for a while, mood growing somber.

"I don't wanna be a cop, did y'know that?"

Jacob blinked at her sudden outburst and shook his head. 

"I never did. All those kids? All those people getting killed by badges and here I am, taking up the mantle? Ugh."

She rubbed her face and passed, Jacob accepted it and took a pull.

"Why'd you do it then?"

It took a bit for her to answer but he could be patient with the proper incentive.

"I owed a favor to Whitehorse. Went through a few training sessions and shit so he could have back-up on this. He knew I was a good shot and wasn't jumpy, so."

Jacob hummed at that, somehow relaxing further into the meager cushions as his eyes slid shut.

"You know, we've had--"  
"Him in y'all's pocket the entire time? Yeah, I know."

His head popped up to look at her with surprise all over his face. She just raised a brow and took the joint back.

"What, like it's hard to see? I'm not that blind, sweetheart."

She watched him watching her as she swiped a thumb at her lower lip.

"Y'know what I did before this? Retail."

Jacob barked out a laugh. He didn't know why it was so funny, but the image of Esther helping people find mundane shit was hilarious.

"Yeah, tell me about it. Nothing compares to that shit-fest."

He was still chuckling but managed to get his bearings enough to ask her how it compared to her current situation.

"Still worse than this. Retail is always worse."

They'd soon smoked the second down into nothing and were just laying there facing each other, sharing hazy air.

"I bring out the worst in people. I always have so it's better to use it and maybe I'll earn my grave along the way."

Jacob went to turn away at his confession but was pinned by Esther's fingers tangling with his own.

"The worst? That's relative."

She slid closer to him, just close enough that they wouldn't go cross-eyed looking at each other.

"Kindness and gentleness can be terrible, too. So if you can invite those in certain people I guess that could work if you wanted."

She brought his hand up to her mouth to run his knuckles over her cheek.

"But you don't wanna die, Jacob. You just wanna stop hurting."

Even in the darkness, she could see his eyes get glassy.

"You shouldn't be so open, it's weak."

She could feel him tug his hand free, but she held fast.

"I don't want to be a part of a world where being kind or asking for help is a weakness. We're human, we have needs."

Jacob let her take his hand back and hold it close to her chest as she dropped into sleep. He watched her eyelids flutter before she let out a light snore.

He watched her for longer than he'd like to admit before succumbing to sleep, himself.


	7. High Highs to Low Lows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> High Highs to Low Lows - Lolo Zouaï

They awoke a little later when everything was still softer around the edges with the weed. It made the skin much more sensitive and receptive to touch. They were practically plastered to each other, Esther's head tucked under his chin and their legs tangled together. 

Her arms were tight around him, tits pressed right into his sternum. His hand was rested in the dip right above her ass. He could even feel her fucking eyelashes whisp against his throat as she blinked awake and shifted against his dick.

Jacob shuddered at her touch and they both froze.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. You just feel really nice and this is so fucked up."

Even still stoned, she was so concerned. It'd be annoying if she wasn't so damn earnest.

"It's fine, go back to sleep." He rasped out.

That was the complete opposite of what he _actually_ wanted, but it was the best course of action if he wanted to be able to look his brothers in the eye later. But then again, he liked the way her skin felt under his palms and couldn't help himself from saying as much. 

She tensed up and moved to look at him.

"Really? It's not weird?"

Jacob winced, "The whole situation is weird but fuck it."

He felt the tension leave her body before she smiled at him in a way that made him want to do a whole lot more than just hold her.

"Okay."

He must have said that out loud too but decided to roll with it. Jacob let the high continue to wash over him until it had him vocal and pawing gently at her as she laughed.

He'd also liked how wide her hips were and how his hands barely fit over her ass. And how soft she sighed when he squeezed just right.

Jacob moved them around until they were laying back to front, his chin hooked over her shoulder so he could hear her. So he could whisper in her ear as the snake did Eve. _Just a taste_. 

She had one hand grasping his wrist, using it as an anchor to rotate her hips against his. Her ass was plush in his lap and just as nice as the hand he had buried between her thighs. He’d pushed her underwear to the side in his haste.

"S'good?"

He felt her nod, but he wanted－ _needed_ to hear her. Jacob stilled his hand, pressing it to her mound and rolled his hips forward so she could feel him.

"Let me hear you, Kitten. Is it good?"

Jacob crooked his fingers, earning a shudder and drawn out groan.

"Keep doing that and you'll－ _hng_ , find out."

He nuzzled behind her ear and sucked a bruise high on her throat. Esther shifted to give him more room, hitching her leg up and over his own to get his fingers deeper.

"Look how wet you are for me."

Jacob withdrew his fingers and held them up for both of them to see. When Esther went to comment, he popped them into his mouth without a moment's thought as she turned and just stared at him slack-jawed.

He grinned at her when he was finished licking her taste from his fingers.

"That's pretty fucking hot and I need you to kiss me like now."

He found that he didn't mind obliging her in the least.

She was much warmer and softer than he'd originally thought. She'd opened up for him and let him pick and bite his way up between her thighs. The breathy little moans and interspersed sighs of his name spurred him further as did the fingers she carded through his hair.  
Her nails against his scalp made his skin tingle and feel far too tight.

"Ah, fuck. There－right there."

She tugged his head this way and that. Sex hadn't ever really been this fun for him, always just an eventual itch needing a scratch. But this? There was something heady about her directions. There was something about being able to learn where to touch and get an immediate response. It was mesmerizing.

But he wanted her to keep her eyes open and on him down where he laid. He'd always been able to adapt far faster than others despite the need coursing under his skin, but she'd have to come before they progressed. It was best if she did.

He pinched at her nipples through her shirt and was surprised to find something a little extra on both. He stopped and looked at her in question and she shrugged with a pout that he remedied with a swipe of his tongue over her clit.

"Well?"

Her hands tightened in his hair a fraction before she huffed.

"Thought they were cute for years and I finally got them my freshman year in college. Haven't had any complaints 'sides no one expecting them. Here,"

She reluctantly pushed him back a bit and lifted her shirt to show him. Despite the lack of light, there was still so much for him to focus on. The stretch of brown skin before him flowed with both black and, seemingly, colored ink. The Medusa between her breasts caught his eye for a moment, but the glittering metal barbells pierced through both of her nipples held his gaze better than the gorgon ever could.

Jacob had thought about this more times than he'd actually like to admit, but his imagination couldn't hold a candle to the very real woman before him.

She let him explore the curves of her hips and the plush skin at her waist. The dark lines and swirls tattooed on her skin gave new dimension to her form. His hands wandered up to her breasts, memorizing the shape and weight in his hands. He tried to play with her nipples too but between his hesitation at the barbells and her brushing his hands away, he gave up on that endeavor.

"I don't get anything out of nip play unless I'm waaaay higher than I am now, don't worry about it."

Jacob shrugged and went back to tracing the designs on her stomach and hips with his mouth. That had her humming pleasantly, but him ducking down to suck hard at her clit had her hollering and clamping her thighs around his head.

He would've laughed if he had the room. Instead, he slipped his middle finger in her which didn't really help him in his current predicament but it was nice to see her reaction and hear her muffled cries.

His head was free before he knew it and the hands in his hair were sharply pulling him up. Jacob followed her directions, half curious.

Esther dragged him in for a sloppy kiss before looking him dead in the eye.

"If you don't fuck me right now, Jacob Seed, I will burn this county to the ground."

Jacob was a little surprised by her demand but decided he was more amused than anything else.

"If you say so."

" _Finally._ "


	8. Child's Play (ft. Chance the Rapper)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Child's Play (ft. Chance the Rapper) - SZA

Not too long later he's easing his dick into her as slow as his self-control allows and he'd thought he was doing pretty well considering how good she felt under him.

Jacob pressed his hand into the small of her back to hold on while she threw it back at him; he could feel her shivers quake the base of her spine. He leaned down to cover her, bracing his weight on his forearms to keep him hovering. Just above so her skin whispered against his.

Esther turned her head to the side to look at him over her shoulder as she pushed lightly at one of his arms.

"It's okay," She pushed at his arm a little harder. "I can hold your weight."

He let himself press her further into the mattress and she sighed contentedly. And with that, Jacob ground as far into her as he could.

"Oh _fuck_ ,"

He buried his face in the crook of her neck and bit down. Esther pushed her hips back firmly into his.

"Please move this century."

He licked at the indent his teeth left.  
"Gimme a second, woman."

Esther, however, was as impatient as they came. She started rolling her hips for some type of movement.

"Fuckin' fine. Jesus."

Jacob leaned up and withdrew from her only to slam back in all the way, shaking the bed. It punched a groan out of her and Jacob figured it couldn't hurt to check-in.

"That what you wanted?"

He did it again before she could answer, but when she managed to catch her breath Esther let out a plea of "yesyesyes".

That was all he needed to hear before lifting her hips along with his own so her ass was in the air. He had her squirming in no time at all and, on one particularly deep thrust, she started to straighten out her back with a shiver.

"Don't you dare. You asked for this, keep that shit arched." The crack of his palm against the meat of her ass startled them both, her enough so that she clenched around him. He paused in surprise.

"We can talk about it later, fuck me harder please."

Esther wiggled her ass to entice him further and he chuckled.

"Since you asked so nicely, Kitten."

Jacob pressed his thumbs down into the dimples on her lower back, making her arch even more. He had to put one of his legs up to get the leverage he wanted to bottom out.

Esther, for all her moaning, started to squirm away and made him readjust his grip.

"Don't. Run."

He punctuated each word with the snap of his hips.

"Fuck, J. _Fuck!_ Keep talking."

If she could see his smug face, she'd probably kick him off the bed, luckily she was too busy getting fucked into next week.

Jacob leaned down so she could hear him clearly with her head buried into the pillow.

"You're so bossy. You like it when I talk to you, sweetheart?"

One of her hands shot out to grasp the back of his neck. Her nails weren't sharp enough to draw blood, but the sting was delicious when paired with the pleasure coursing through his veins.

"You're so sweet like this. Fuckin' perfect."  
He thrust as deep as he could go, and Esther widened her legs to get him in further.

"You feel that? You feel your pussy gripping me like that? I'm not going _anywhere_."

How she was still so soft with her claws in his neck was beyond him, but he wasn't one to dwell when there were much more pressing matters at hand.

"I couldn't get you out of my head for weeks－ _weeks_ and I thought I'd be free of you if I just let myself..."

His thrusts were erratic and haphazard, forcing the mattress to squeak and groan in protest. "But now you're under my fucking skin and it feels too goddamned good."

If she were in her right mind, Esther wouldn't know what to do with that let alone whilst getting her back blown out. The least she could do was reassure him that this was a good thing.  
If only she could get her voice to work.

When she did manage to find her voice, all that came out was a low whine. 

“What? You wanna come? Already?”

That’s not the reaction she wanted at all. She wanted him to spare her, dredge up whatever piece of him that still contained mercy and bestow it upon her. If she didn’t come in the next five seconds, she was pretty sure she’d die from frustration.

“Please…”

Esther felt weak whining for him, her hands sluggish as they moved down to feel where they were joined. Her fingers brushed the underside of his cock in her exploration, pulling a groan from deep in his chest.

“ _Fuuuuuuck…._ ”

His hips stuttered to a stop as he braced himself over her, losing himself in the feeling. Esther, on the opposite side of that, took his stopping as a personal affront.

“No! Don’t stop! Why are we stopping, are you okay?”

Jacob pulled out and sat on his haunches, one hand firmly clamped around the base of his dick, the other palming a healthy amount of her ass. And, despite her askance after his wellbeing, he could clearly see the way her fingers moved over her clit.

He wanted to see her face.

Once he got himself under control, he slid his other hand to her thigh and tapped twice. Esther made a sound not unlike a hum of acknowledgment and peered at him over her shoulder. Her fingers didn’t pause.

“Let me see you?”

Esther was startled still before practically jumping at his request. Before he knew it, she was laying back in the meager pillows and making grabby hands at him.

Jacob crawled his way back up her body, running his nose and lips along the underside of her jaw; kissing her chin before claiming her lips.

When they parted, he let his forehead rest against hers. She wouldn't know what it meant to him, not yet at least. How much of a vulnerable gesture it was within his family. A testament to how deep she’d actually managed to get under his skin.

Once he opened his eyes, he caught her staring and smiled.

"Hey."

He'd never seen her look so open and fuckin' _fond_. 

"'Hey' yourself."

He could guess that his face was just as stupidly open, too. Especially with the way her palms came up to rasp against his cheeks to cup his face and pull him closer to lick into his mouth.

He knew he was fucked the very moment she looked at him funny. He'd probably be shot or on the wrong end of Joseph's Disappointed Stare, but what bliss this was being cradled in her.

"Jacob,"

She mumbled against his lips. It took her another try just to drag him out of his head. He answered her with a hum.

"As much as I like this, and I really do, post-coital cuddles are post-coital for a reason."

“Greedy.”

He pulled back to rest on his forearms above her as she narrowed her eyes. Her knees came up at his sides.

“You’re cute but you haven’t made me come yet, big guy. So you best get on that.”

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips that turned utterly dirty.

“Or what, Kitten? You gonna go sleep on the couch?”

One of the hands on his face migrated down to his jaw so she could pull him down and lick the seam of his lips.

“I’ll finish without you, that’s what. Chop chop, Mountain Man.”

She settled herself back into the pillows and let her legs flop open, her hands politely folded on her stomach.

Jacob’s head dropped down to her shoulder so he could stifle his laughter into her warm skin.  
Once it petered off, he kissed her throat and ran his nose along the underside of her jaw. He kissed her chin before catching her lips, sliding up a little more for leverage.

The humorous and light air was quickly heating again as her hands came up to tangle in his hair. The roll of his hips was soft and slow, following the rhythm of their kiss. He lowered himself fully, pushing one of her legs up higher so he could take himself in hand and slide back into her. 

Jacob knew right off the bat that Esther was impatient and he definitely liked the way her pussy clenched around him. He liked how her legs pulled him in closer and trembled while they did so. Jacob liked the subtle raised lines of her tattoos under his palms, too.

“J,”

She was panting in the meager space between them.

“Jacob, please. Please, I need you to fuck me harder. Get us there, sweetheart.”

He couldn’t help but nod more than what was required. He could do that for her. He could absolutely do that for them. And when had it become _them_? He couldn’t place it, but found he didn’t give a shit.

“I got you, Esther. I got you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm planning on hiking the Appalachian Trail in April, so the updates (along with the posts of new stories are probably gonna be worse) since it's gonna take ~6 months to complete the whole thing. I'll still be on my tumblr, so shoot me messages!
> 
> Also!!! I finally made the playlist for the series! I'm working on the cover for the playlist:  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LZSL6INu1A9O7QHDJ9hVT


	9. Rocket

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rocket - Beyoncé

They're pressed close and sticky when she wakes. He'd already been awake for a while, arm wrapped around her with him curled over her as tight as he could get. They were finally warm despite the storm and he'd felt at peace in that moment.

She was stirring, little shifts of her body so close to his giving her away. She flexed her feet and wrinkled her nose before opening her eyes and turning to see if he was awake too.

The grey light of day streamed pillars onto the bedspread and yet still made the copper in his hair shine. Jacob's eyes were soft, crow's feet wrinkling at the corners.

"It's still kinda cold."

He huffed at her, amused; and, morning breath be damned, kissed her full on the mouth. He tucked her head under his chin.

"Go back to sleep. It's still snowing."

Esther snaked a hand up his arm and around his neck to palm the back of his head and tug.

"I don't wanna sleep anymore."

He looked down at her pout and snorted. "But what if I do?"

She gave him an expression that said ‘really…’ and he chuckled. Her arm went back under the blanket to tuck against his side.

“We’ll probably have to leave soon. In case anyone comes looking for us.”

Esther felt rather than heard his sigh. She should’ve kept her mouth shut.

“Worry about that later.” His palms came up under her shirt and were warm on her back, pressing her closer.

Esther sucked at the skin of his throat in front of her. She’d listen to him. Just this once, though.

Later, much much later, when they wake up for the final time, is when the dam breaks. The sun is finally high, gleaming off of the slowly melting snow. It’s time to leave and Esther can’t help but feel that they’re on the precipice of something earth-shattering. 

As they prepared to leave, cleaning up here and there, she watched Jacob struggle with speaking up and found herself in the same boat. His failed attempts seemed to embolden her as she paused her puttering about to stop his own.

“Jacob?”

He was in the middle of patting his pants down to make sure they were dry by the long cold fireplace. He grunted, acknowledging her and letting her know that she had his attention. He didn’t look at her as he hopped into his jeans and left them unbuttoned.

“I like being around you, provided you lay off the torturing, please. It’s unbecoming.”

That made him halt in his tracks and look up at her sharply. No one liked to be around him except for his siblings _and even then_. He was fucking _War_ and this? This was the beginning of some bullshit Stockholm Syndrome if he’d ever seen it. He said as much.

Esther nonchalantly waved a hand to dismiss it.

“Nah, man. My taste in men has always been a little faulty. No worries, it runs in the family.”

He cracked a smile against his better judgment and she beamed in return. 

“I like you, Jacob.”

She patted his bare chest, right over the rabbit’s foot.

“I like you a lot. I don’t know why and I probably shouldn’t but fuck it.”

He snorted at her in disbelief, "That's it? 'Fuck it'?" and she shrugged in response.

"Yeah, that's it. Look," Esther stepped in close.

"I usually don't know what I'm doing half the time and deal with the consequences later. That's my schtick. I don't really want for much and rarely ask, circumstances be damned, but I know that I want you and that's enough for me."

Esther smiled up at him, one that made her eyes catch the midday light and shine. She brought herself up on her toes and kissed the corner of his mouth.  
His hands came up around her waist in reply, tugging her fully into his body.

"I,"

Esther tried her best not to look _too_ expectant.

"I'm not a good man, Esther. Shit, I'm not even a decent man." He bumped his forehead against hers.

"I don't know what the hell you see in me but I'll take it."

Her grin was pure light.

"Oh Jacob, you flatterer you."

Their next kiss was a proper one that had him dragging her to the couch where he collapsed back on it with her in his lap. 

Their frantic kissing slowed as they sat there wrapped up in each other. She was reminded that she didn't have any pants on with him palming her ass. Granted, he didn't have a shirt so she figured it was fair.

"Is it alright if we stay a little longer? Just another hour or so?"

She was afraid that leaving would break whatever spell that was placed on them. Afraid they'd go back to being on opposite sides of this war and have to forget what had transpired.

And he felt weak with it. Weak for her. A part of him hated her for it but he knew how this was going to wind up going. He couldn't help but give in to her big pleading eyes and found that this would probably be a bad habit in the making. If so, he'd have to adapt or fold.

He helped her tuck herself into his side, legs thrown over his lap. His arm was around her shoulders, keeping her close as she inspected his dog tags and other accessories.

Esther watched the quick jump of his stomach when her fingers brushed against the soft skin above his jeans. She snuck a glance up at him to find him avidly watching her hands. So she did it again. And again.

"Unless you plan on starting something you can't finish, I suggest you stick to the deadline."

That was a poorly veiled dare if Esther had ever seen one. And she _always_ won dares.

"Why Mr. Seed," she slid down to the floor, fitting herself into the space between his knees.  
"All you had to do was ask."

Jacob facepalmed, silent laughter making his stomach jump again.

"You're ridiculous. I'm damn near 50, woman. You want me a dried out husk?"

Esther's salacious grin had him chuckling as she ran her palms up and down his thighs, admiring the strength there. His jeans were already undone, belt long since forgotten on the kitchen counter.

One of his rough palms came up to cup her cheek. Jacob's body was putting off heat in waves as he rubbed his thumb over her high cheekbone.

She pressed a kiss to his palm before kissing up his thighs, paving her way up to his belly. His eyes darkened the further up she went.

Jacob raised his hips to help push his jeans down. He was glad to have had the foresight to not bother with underwear for the duration of their stay.

Esther wasted no time in swallowing him down to the root and Jacob's hips bucked in surprise, earning him a half-hearted glare.

His apology came in the form of his thumb at the corner of her mouth, feeling the stretch of her lips around him. She gave him an extra hard suck that had his hand dropping down to her own rubbing soothing circles into his thigh.

Esther soon came up for air after his choked off gasps and low moans rose in crescendo. His dick twitched in her hand and she took a second too long to admire its girth and sighed dreamily.

She pressed the flat of her tongue against the underside of his cock and dragged her way to the head, watching his muscles spasm and his hands ball up into fists with glee.

"You're so cute, y'know that?"

She sat back on her haunches and watched him attempt to pick his head up from the headrest of the couch.  
His eyebrows went damn near supersonic into his hairline with how quickly they rose.

"Hot as fuck, too. Knew I was a goner in the church."

Jacob may have thought himself too old to be embarrassed but apparently he wasn't too old to be flattered by her honesty.

Esther watched his cheeks heat up to a rather attractive pink that spread to his ears. Her grin grew the darker his face got.

She gave the head of his cock a suck, "I think you're very handsome, J."

Esther was telling the truth and it was fun to watch him squirm for once. His cool and calm demeanor was nice and sexy, but this? This was downright adorable. She'd pay for it later on, of course, but it was definitely worth it.

His hand went up the back of her head and fisted in her locs, dragging her head back to him.

"I'm a grown ass man, Kitten. I ain't cute."

He was pouting, how adorable.

"Oh sweetheart, you're the cutest goddamn thing this side of the Mississippi."

She licked over the head of his dick and laughed when his expression fell as he focused on the sensation. He bucked his hips again and she took the action for what it was.

Esther took the tip back into her mouth and he practically melted into the couch with a wounded sound. His hands were at the back of her head again, urging her to keep going and holding on for dear life.

She hollowed her cheeks as she ran her tongue under the ridge of the head. She must've been doing a good job with the way his hips were rolling, short [jabs] to keep him buried in the heat of her mouth. 

She would've grinned but she had manners and all that. She was taught not to talk with her mouth full, after all. Better than that, she pressed herself closer as Jacob buried himself as far as he could go, her nose tickled by the hair at the base of his cock. He fucked her throat a few times before pulling her off with the loudest moan she'd ever heard a beat later. 

Her lips felt slick and pleasantly bruised and she smiled as his chest heaved as if he was doing all the work. 

Jacob's dick twitched where it laid on his stomach, leaking in the cool air.

"Keep that up and this'll be over quick." 

Her smile was sly as she dragged her nails up his bare thighs.

"I don't mind."

He shook his head and rolled his shoulders. Jacob sat up to haul her in for a hard kiss, tasting himself on her tongue before releasing her.

"You better run to that bed if you don't want me to fuck you into this 'nasty ass' couch."

Esther's eyes widened, he wanted to play? She was definitely down to play. No more than half a second passed before she took off with him hot on her heels.

She made it as far as the kitchen.

His hands were low on her hips, fingers almost digging into the crease of her thighs as he took her over the counter. And then the dining table.

Anywhere he could get her, really.

His grip on the edge of the table was tighter than the coil deep in his belly. He'd be concerned about the plaster on the wall being abused by the punch of the corners against it, but couldn't bring himself to care. Not when he had her legs quaking up on his shoulders. Not when the loose grasp she had around his forearms paired with the sweet look on her face was enough to make both his heart and his hips stutter.

"Hey,"

Esther pulled at the hair that flopped down into his eyes. She cleared his line of sight with a dopey smile.

"Kiss me?"

Now who could deny a request like that when put so nicely? Certainly not this Seed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost done, y'all! Let me know if there's anything fucky with this chapter, I'm hella impulsive and posted this like I was submitting an essay at 11:59.

**Author's Note:**

> I kinda missed it by like 6 months, but _Dep's Tracks for the End of the World's_ is 18 months old!!!! 
> 
> I've been working on this one for a few months and I'm finally ready to post it!  
> This is literally my first time being kinda consistent with a character and I'm super excited to see where Esther goes because I'm the last person that actually knows what the fuck is gonna happen, lmao. Anyway, thank you guys for reading and following Esther on her escapades throughout Hope County. I really appreciate all the comments and kudos and the writing tips. I'm so fucking grateful for the positive energy y'all have given me. You guys are the best. Ily.
> 
> Also!!! I finally made the playlist for the series! I'm working on the cover for the playlist:  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LZSL6INu1A9O7QHDJ9hVT
> 
> odinslumped.tumblr.com


End file.
